Verkhovna Rada approves new government

Lawmakers on April 14 approved Hroysman and accepted the resignation of his predecessor, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, by a vote of 257 to 50. "I will show you what leading a country really means," Hroysman, a 38-year-old loyalist of President Petro Poroshenko, told parliament ahead of the vote. He vowed to "ensure the permanence of our course toward European integration" and to oversee a government "that does not tolerate corruption." Hroysman, who has been serving as speaker of parliament, was backed by a ruling coalition made up of both Poroshenko's and Yatsenyuk's parties, as well as independent lawmakers. Parliament also approved on April 14 Hroysman's government lineup, with 239 votes cast in favour. Oleksandr Danylyuk, deputy head of Poroshenko's staff, becomes finance minister, replacing U.S.-born Natalie Jaresko, who oversaw last year's $15 billion debt restructuring. Former central bank Governor Stepan Kubiv, the president's representative in parliament, will be first deputy prime minister and economy minister. The defence and foreign ministers, who are both appointed by the president, retain their positions. Yatsenyuk submitted his resignation earlier this week after weeks of pressure for him to step down. His cabinet survived a no-confidence vote in February, but two parties left the governing coalition to protest the failure to oust the prime minister, who was under fire over the worsening economy and slow pace of Western-backed reforms.